Release two Myanmar journalists held in Bangladesh, says Global Witness

Two Myanmar journalists arrested in
Bangladesh while reporting on the escalating Rohingya refugee crisis should
immediately be released and charges against them dropped, watchdog Global
Witness urged today.

Minzayar Oo, an internationally recognized
photojournalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian and
National Geographic, and his colleague, photographer Hkun Lat, are being
charged under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and Section 177 and 419 of
the Bangladesh Penal Code for alleged “false impersonation” and providing “false
information”. The photographers have been accused of reporting on tourist visas
and face up to five years in prison if found guilty.

They entered Bangladesh in early September
to report on the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the influx of nearly
400,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighbouring Myanmar. They were detained
on 7 September while on assignment for the German publication GEO magazine and were
reportedly denied bail this week.

“We are deeply concerned that journalists
are being prevented from doing their jobs and urge the Bangladeshi government
to release Minzayar Oo and Hkun Lat as a matter of urgency,” said Paul Donowitz,
Myanmar Campaign Leader at Global Witness.

“The
current crisis in Rakhine State is driving hundreds of thousands of people into
Bangladesh as refugees. It is crucial that journalists and those documenting
their plight are allowed freedom to access and report on these issues without
fear of intimidation or legal repercussions.”

Minzayar Oo is an award-winning journalist known
for highlighting human rights and environmental issues in Myanmar. Hkun Lat is
an up-and-coming Kachin photographer who has worked with him on a number of
projects.

As of Friday night, their lawyer Jyotirmoy
Barua had been unable to speak to the journalists and could not account for
their welfare. Mr Barua said that a number of Bangladeshi constitutional and
legal provisions had been violated in this case, including custodial
proceedings.